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Temple Tourism in Tatters
Cover Story
Successive state governments have been promising to promote religious tourism in Himachal but standards are falling in this sector over the years. Though number of tourists is increasing gradually but devotees visiting famous temples of Himachal rue lack of facilities with majority of temple earnings spent on salaries of employees and maintenance leaving very little funds for developmental schemes to create more facilities. Devotees, espacilly those traveling on motorcycles and bicycles, visiting temples in Shravan navratras also flout all norms of motor vehicle act and traffic and goods transport vehicles can be seen devotees thus putting their lives in danger. Knowledgeable persons feel that there is need to put a system in place on the pattern of Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board to regulate, improve and promote religious tourism in Himachal
Temples Lack Basic Facilities
Kiran Sharma
The standard of religious tourism is falling in Himachal every year as offerings of crores of rupee are only filling state exchequer thus halting developmental works around famous temples located in the state. Known as land of gods and goddesses, this hilly state is famous for many ancient and established temples attracting devotees from across the country. Devotees are not getting enough facilities and the state government’s attitude is also apathetic to promote religious tourism. Land around these temples has not been utilized properly. Availability of rest houses and toilets around temples is insufficient. Though Himachal had also envisaged a master plan with regard to offering, including conversion of gold silver and ornaments into coins, on the pattern of Vaishno Devi but it has remained only in papers. Temple committees are reportedly extravagant in spending besides using temple vehicles to please VIPs. Recommendations of high powered committee regarding improvement of temples have not been implemented as 374 page report is confined to files of Language, Art and Culture Department. The government has acquired 28 temples whereas there are 25,000 small and big temples in Himachal, most of which are in a state of neglect. The government is yet to evolve a policy to free temple lands from encroachments.
* Special emphasis is being given to promote religious tourism in Himachal. There is a plan to construct sarais around temples and installation of CCTV cameras for security purpose
-Arun Sharma Director, Language, Art and Culture Department
Two Decade Old Master Plan at Kangra
The master plan envisaged by Brajeshwari Temple Trust included establishing a Vedic institute, ghat, bathrooms, museum and other schemes at Mata ka Naag land on Jamanabad Road proposed two decades ago is still incomplete. Under construction bathrooms at Ban Ganga have not been completed for the last three years besides others as majority of the earnings is spent on employees leaving nothing for the developmental schemes.
-By Rakesh Kathuria/Kangra
Annual Income Rs.4.5 Crore
Share of Priests Rs. 90 Lakh
Salaries Rs 84 Lakh
* There is no plan to complete the pending schemes and a decision will be taken in temple trust meeting
-Pawan Badiyal Temple Officer, Brajeshwari Temple
Master Plan for Naina Devi
Temple Trust has prepared a master plan for Naina Devi temple to boost religious tourism. It plans to seek financial help from Asian Development Bank for construction of multi-story parking and high tech circle road to streamline devotees. The temple is running a Plus Two school and a college offering courses of Acharya and Shastri. In addition the temple administration has planned various schemes to provide more facilities to devotees.
-By Vijay Thakur/ Bilaspur
* Temple administration is committed to promote religious tourism and develop Naina Devi as biggest religious tourist place in North India
-Madan Sharma Temple Officer, Naina Devi jurisd
Developmental Projects
* Rs. 35 lakh for construction of Sanskrit College
* Rs. 3 lakh for construction of rain shelter
* Rs. 10 lakh for rest house for devotees
* Rs. 5 lakh for rain shelter from Goofa to temple
* Rs. 9 lakh for expansion of langar building
* Annual Income Rs. 18.62 crore
* No. of temple Employees 145
* Salary of temple employees Rs. 1.41 Crore
* Salary of college employees Rs. 64 Lakh
* Salary of school employees Rs. 94.81 Lakh
* Share of Priests Rs. 3.17 Crore
Incomplete Projects at Chamunda
Though various schemes are being implemented to provide more facilities at Chamunda Temple, yet there are projects that have been lingering on for many years. Only one floor of proposed shopping complex has been constructed in four years. New shops have been constructed in place of old shops but controversy shrouds about their allotment thus posing inconvenience to the displaced businessmen. Priests get 40 percent share from Shiv temple earnings. Temple Officer Pawan Kumar says that priority would be given to completion of pending development works to provide more facilities to devotees.
-By Pawan Sharma/Dharamshala
Annual Income Rs. 6 crore
No of temple Employees 40
Annual Salary of Employees Rs. 1.32 crore
Schemes for Trilokpur Temple
The temple trust has envisaged many schemes including construction of canopy from main gate to temple and parking, by-pass road, old age home, modern toilets, sewerage line, overhead tank for drinking water supply and digging three borewells in mela ground besides promoting charitable activities. The temple trust has initiated various schemes to provide facilities to devotees who visit Balasundri Temple at Trilokpur
-By Surat Pundir/Nahan
Annual income Rs. 6 Crore
Employees 100
Salaries Rs. 2 Crore
Salaries Equal Earnings in Deot Sidh
Despite huge earning in the form of offerings by the devotees, there is hardly any amount left to carry out developmental activities in Babab Balak Nath temple in Deotsidh. The trust has to pay a heavy sum to its huge workforce in the form of salary and wages, thereby equaling the earning and spending, and leaving no scope and funds for development. There are various projects proposed like go sadan, new langar bhavan, sarai etc. which is still hanging due to lack of funds.
-By Ravinder Chandel, Hamirpur
Annual Income Rs. 19.32 Crore
Salaries Rs. 19 Crore (approx.)
Number of Employees 262
Priest Share 20% of profit
* Developmental works are going on in the temple, but still there is plenty of scope for development
-Akshay Sood Chairman, Baba Balak Nath Trust
Jwalamukhi Temple seeks Attention
A master plan was envisaged many years ago to develop temple premises and adjoining areas to provide facilities to devotees. However, it has not been translated into realty as yet. The temple trust has not constructed even one charitable sarai for night stay of devotees who also face difficulties in reaching temple through parikrama marg. There are 150 families of priests who take turns in performing aarti and they are paid thirty percent share from offerings. The temple admistration is also running a college, a Sanskrit college, dispensary, langar besides helping poor and needy girls
-By Shailesh Sharma, Jwalamukhi
Annual Income Rs. 8.5 Crore
Annual Expense Rs. 7.5 Crore
Number of Employees 102
Priest Families 150
* All facilities are being provided to devotees and many other schemes are in the pipeline to promote religious tourism here
-Devi Verma Temple Officer, Jwalamukhi
Chintpurni Still waits for Master Plan
Famous shaktipeeth Chintpurni Temple is still waiting for a master plan that can boost religious tourism in a big way. Temple administration had agreed to construct a gate after the name of martyr Amol Kalia but this project has not been completed even after many years. The administration has started construction of a multipurpose building having facilities like toilets, waiting room, langar hall and others. This 46 crore project will be completed with assistance of Tourism Department and Asian Development Bank.
-By Jatinder Kanwar/Una
Annual Income Rs. 29.15 crore
Total Expenses Rs. 22 Crore
* Rs. 3 Crore for salaries of 58 employees, 70 home guards and ex-servicemen deployed to look after security arrangements
* Nearly Rs. 10 crore annual share of priests
* Rs. 25 lakh on cleanliness
* Rs. 60 lakh assistance to needy persons
* Rs. 5 crore for maintenance of temple premises
* Temple administration has undertaken various development schemes, including Rs, 8 crore sewerage scheme, to provide more facilities to devotees
-Subhash Chauhan Temple Officer, Chintpurni
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